I
see trolls are out in full force on this thread. This is no win for
Israel. Hamas has not been annihilated. That's the only permanent
solution to the problem. And for those who cry about the killing of
innocents, I remind you of the 'innocents' who were celebrating in the
streets yesterday at a fake victory over the Jews they wish to
exterminate. Men, women and children. These people breed hatred in their
children from birth. What are you willing to do about that? The UN
remains silent and lets child abuse continue. Where are you people for
that? Teaching children to hate, commit acts of terror and become
suicide bombers is NOT acceptable.﻿

Netanyahu
Hails 'Great Diplomatic Blow' To Hamas. Amid wave of criticism over
ceasefire deal with terrorist organization, PM defends his unilateral
choice in press meeting. Share on facebookShare on twitterShare on
emailShare on printMore Sharing Services. By Hezki Ezra, Ari Yashar.
8/27/2014, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Wednesday night
attempted to respond to the outpouring of criticism for his unilateral
decision the night before, in which he sealed a ceasefire deal with the
terrorist group Hamas. "With the establishment of the ceasefire I can
say that this is a great military and diplomatic achievement," claimed
Netanyahu, accompanied by Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon and IDF Chief
of Staff Benny Gantz. Netanyahu stated "Hamas has been hit critically
and didn't receive any of the demands it set." Palestinian Authority
(PA) officials revealed that in the deal Gaza received an immediate ease
of the blockade and an opening of its fishing zone. Discussions on the
Hamas demand for a sea and airport, as well as a swap of hundreds of
terrorists for the bodies of IDF soldiers Second Lt. Hadar Goldin and
First Sgt. Oron Shaul hy''d, are to be held within a month. The IDF
destroyed over 30 terror tunnels that were lethally used against Israel
in the operation, although it remains unclear if more yet undiscovered
tunnels remain. Nevertheless, Netanyahu said "when the mission of
destroying the tunnels was completed, we pulled the forces back so as to
prevent Hamas from killing our soldiers or abducting them - goals they
were waiting for. Still we continued to strike from the air and killed
around 1,000 terrorists of the enemy - including officials in the
command echelon." "The damage that Hamas absorbed is a blow that it
hasn't absorbed in its history - a military and diplomatic blow,"
commented Netanyahu. "It demanded a seaport, an airport, the release of
(Gilad) Shalit prisoners, Qatari and Turkish intermediaries - and didn't
get them." Many have noted that Israeli didn't receive its lone demand
in the ceasefire either, namely the disarmament of Gaza, which is to be
discussed in negotiations within a month. When confronted with the fact
that he did not topple the Hamas terrorist regime, something he vowed to
do while campaigning in 2009 if faced with constant rocket fire,
Netanyahu said "even the US didn't topple Al Qaeda. To topple a terror
organization is not simple." Speaking about the road forward in terms of
security, Netanyahu said "we will not suffer a drip (of rockets) on any
part of the state of Israel, and as we've responded - we will respond
even stronger." Despite Netanyahu's positive spin on the campaign, Gaza
Belt leaders slammed the ceasefire as surrender. Ashkelon Mayor Itamar
Shimoni stated "we did not lose 64 fighters and five civilians,
including a four-year-old boy, for this 'achievement'. We did not sit in
the shelters and protected spaces for almost two months for this
'achievement'. We did not take a harsh economic blow, in which
businesses collapsed, for this 'achievement'. We expected a lot more
than this." Even Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz (Likud), a close
confidante of Netanyahu, told BBC on Wednesday that the operation was
"for nothing," and that Israel paid a "heavy price." Several ministers
in the Security Cabinet opposed the deal, but were not given the
opportunity to vote on it. Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman (Yisrael
Beytenu) on Wednesday voiced his opposition to the ceasefire, saying
Israel is in danger as long as Hamas exists. Former MK Dr. Michael
Ben-Ari likewise attacked the deal on Tuesday night. Quoting Netanyahu,
who recently said "Hamas is ISIS, ISIS is Hamas," Ben-Ari stated "that
means that Netanyahu held negotiations with ISIS."﻿

Poll:
ISIS More Popular in France than in Gaza. One in six French residents
like the idea of a "caliphate" run by Islamist group ISIS. By Yaakov
Levi. 8/28/2014, A poll of French opinion on Islamist group ISIS (also
known as ISIL) show one out of ever six residents of the country as
having a positive view of the terror group. Sixteen percent of French
residents said that they would support the establishment of an Islamic
"caliphate" in Iraq and Syria, and perhaps beyond. French residents
expressed the highest percentage of support for the Islamist group among
residents of the three European countries polled on the issue – and in
fact, more French residents as a percentage of the population support
ISIS than do residents of Gaza, where only 13% of the population said
they would be happy to see an Islamist state in the Middle East. Also
polled were residents of the UK, where 7% said they were supporters of
ISIS, and Germany, where only 2% expressed approval. The poll was taken
by ICM Research on behalf of Russian news agency Rossiya Segodnya. The
poll also queried residents of the European countries on their attitude
to ISIS. Broken down by age, 27% of French residents 18-24 years of age
said they had a positive attitude to the group, as did 22% of 24-34 year
olds, and 20% of 25-44 year olds. In the UK, those numbers by age group
were 4%, 6%, and 11% respectively. Among Germans, barely 3% of any age
group saw ISIS in a positive manner. In both France and Germany, about
two thirds of residents see ISIS in an unfavorable light; 82% of Germans
also had a very negative view of the group. The poll also showed 85% of
Gazans as being opposed to ISIS. The polling group noted that Europeans
and Gazans were asked "slightly different" questions. It should be
noted as well that the vast majority of Gazans were not opposed to
terrorism against Israel; 93% said they did not support "disarming the
Palestinian resistance" if the matter were to come up during
negotiations between Israel and the Gaza terror group, because those
arms were needed to fight Israel.﻿

EU
Calls For Ceasefire to Lead to 'Two State Solution'. EU says
comprehensive agreement, not return to status quo, needed in Gaza; calls
for end of blockade and full Hamas PA unity government. By AFP, Arutz
Sheva Staff. First Publish: 8/27/2014, 10:12 PM. European Parliament
President Martin Schultz, Mahmoud Abbas. The European Union (EU) on
Wednesday welcomed a long-term ceasefire between Israel and the
terrorist organization Hamas in Gaza, calling for more talks to bring a
"comprehensive and sustainable agreement." "Simply returning to the
situation before the latest conflict is not an option," said a statement
from the bloc's diplomatic arm, the European External Action Service
(EEAS). "A sustainable agreement should address all the root causes of
the conflict and bring fundamental change to the situation in Gaza,"
added EEAS. It is worth noting that Hamas as early as two weeks ago
stated clearly that its intentions of accepting a truce are so as to
plan the next terror war on Israel. The EU added that "a durable peace
can only be achieved through the resumption of the Middle East peace
process, leading to a two-state solution." US Secretary of State John
Kerry's push for a peace agreement between the Palestinian Authority
(PA) and Israel were torpedoed in April, when the PA signed a unity deal
with the terrorist group Hamas. Indeed, the EU welcomed that unity
deal, despite the fact that Hamas is on the EU's list of terrorist
organizations. That listing specifically includes both "Hamas" and
"Hamas-Izz al-Din al-Qassem," meaning that both the military and
governmental branches of Hamas are recognized as terror groups by the
EU. The EU likewise on Wednesday called for an end to the blockade of
the terror haven of Gaza, a unity government between the PA and Hamas in
completion of the process begun in April, and lastly, the cessation of
rocket fire from Gaza. ﻿

African
Traffickers Shoot Egyptian Guard on Way to Israel. Human traffickers
kill Egyptian while smuggling people to Israel, illustrating that
African immigrants are job seekers, not refugees. By AFP, Arutz Sheva
Staff, First Publish: 8/27/2014, Illegal African immigrants in Tel Aviv.
An Egyptian border guard was killed on Wednesday during a shootout with
people traffickers trying to cross into Israel with illegal African
immigrants, a security official said. Armed groups have been
transporting thousands of Eritreans and Sudanese each year to Israel
through a desert region stretching from Sudan, through Egypt and up to
the Sinai Peninsula. The 22-year-old Egyptian officer was stationed in
the middle of the Sinai Peninsula when he was shot, officials said. The
number of illegal African immigrants in Israel reached 54,000 in 2013
according to the immigration office. Their presence has been accompanied
by an exponentially skyrocketing in crime rates, particularly in
southern Tel Aviv. The recent shooting incident illustrates what Yochi
Genison, the most senior official at the State Attorney's office tasked
with immigration, clarified in June, saying that the illegal immigrants
are not legitimate asylum-seekers. "We need to understand the real story
here," Genison stated. "This is not about refugees fleeing for their
lives, but institutionalized smuggling networks." "There has formed a
complete industry based on human trafficking, smuggling humans living in
Africa who seek to make a living in Europe and Israel," she continued.
"And the vast majority of coming to Israel are not asylum seekers, but
people who already found protection in Third World countries who choose
to continue to work in Israel and settle there." "We investigate the
migrants and their stories and what we hear is the same: 'I went from X
state to here after I thought, 'Wow, I got protection, but they told me I
could, for $5,000, enter Israel," Genison concluded. Last year, Israel
launched a crackdown on the illegal infiltrators, rounding up and
deporting 3,920 by the end of the year, and building a hi-tech fence
along the border with Egypt, which brought the influx of illegals to a
halt. Infiltrators in June held a hunger strike after Israeli police
forcibly broke up a sit-in they were staging along the Egyptian border,
protesting their detention at the Holot detention camp in the southern
Negev desert. Holot was opened after Israel passed legislation in
December 2013 letting the state detain illegal infiltrators for up to a
year without trial; Holot is an open facility, although detainees are
required to return every night.﻿

Ex-MK
Slams Netanyahu for 'Negotiating with ISIS'. Dr. Ben-Ari notes the
implications of ceasefire with Hamas, which PM compared to ISIS; says to
learn from Munich Agreements. By Ari Yashar. First Publish: 8/27/2014,
Dr. Michael Ben-Ari. Former MK Dr. Michael Ben-Ari slammed the ceasefire
deal between Israel and the terrorist organization Hamas on Tuesday
night, in a video message on his Facebook page shortly after the deal
went into effect at 7 p.m.

"It's clear to
all of us that when a mouse fights with a lion, and the lion pleads for a
ceasefire - even if the mouse leaves this campaign with a damaged tooth
and eye, the mouse feels like it won, because both the tooth and the
eye it can repair and replace in the near future," said Ben-Ari in
parable.

The ex-MK warned "in the next
campaign the mouse will no longer be a mouse, and the lion will no
longer be a lion." He lambasted the Israeli government for "holding
negotiations under fire with a gang of terrorists," something which
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu swore he would not do a mere two weeks
ago.

Ben-Ari quoted Netanyahu, who recently
said "Hamas is ISIS, ISIS is Hamas," referencing the extremist Islamic
State (IS, formerly ISIS) terror group rapidly conquering Iraq and
Syria. "That means that Netanyahu held negotiations with ISIS,"
commented Ben-Ari, following through the implications of Netanyahu's
comparison. "Why didn't we win the war? ...We didn't win this war,
because winning was not the goal. Not once did we hear that the goal of
the IDF and the Israeli government was to win the campaign. They spoke
about quiet, they spoke about ceasefires," lamented Ben-Ari. The former
MK bashed the fantasy "that Israel is succumbing to," under which Gaza
can exist "quietly" next to the state of Israel through the false notion
that "they have nothing against us, after all we gave them every last
centimeter" of Gaza. "They aren't willing to listen to what they're
saying in Gaza; they want to destroy the state of Israel up to the last
zionist," said Ben-Ari, reminding that "zionists" according to Gaza also
include far-left Israelis, "who aren't zionists at all." "Learn from
the Munich Agreements". Dr. Ben-Ari then gave a quick history lesson,
referencing the Treaty of Versailles that after World War I placed "all
kinds of limitations on Germany. But they didn't destroy the murderous,
imperialistic German regime that wanted to conquer all of Europe." He
noted how the situation continued downhill as the world offered Germany
appeasement, giving them the Sudetenland in the Munich Agreements, which
he compared to Gaza and the Gaza Belt communities "that have been
abandoned (by the government) for 14 years." Citing the German
precedent, Ben-Ari warned "this submission to Hamas - and it is
submission - will bring ISIS here." Therefore, the former MK said as he
has consistently called for since the start of Operation Protective Edge
on July 8: "it's not us AND Gaza, it's us OR Gaza; if we don't destroy
Gaza...they will destroy us." "We have a responsibility to our children.
We have a responsibility to the Jewish state that was reestablished
here after two thousand years," remarked Ben-Ari. Responding to the
claims of Israeli victory given that it will take "ten years" to rebuild
the damage in Gaza, Ben-Ari stated "and what about our three-year-old
children, they won't celebrate a bar mitzvah (at age 13)? The next
offensive will be (a) chemical (war)? ...That's not leadership." Ben-Ari
reiterated the need to wipe out Gaza, and move its residents to "all
the countries in the world. And the only thing that will be in Gaza is
the reconstruction of the Jewish community. Because there's no
difference between Gaza and Ashkelon; that's what they (the Arabs) say,
and that's what we must understand."﻿

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Likud Minister Says Gaza Operation was 'For Nothing'

Intelligence
Minister Steinitz tells BBC that Israel paid a 'heavy price' in 50 day
operation against Hamas, no 'significant' gains.﻿

ZOA
Lashes Out at Obama for Proposed Hamas-Israel Equation. US proposal
equates Israel with Hamas - sparking ire from American Jewish groups. By
Hillel Fendel. 8/26/2014, President Barack Obama. The Zionist
Organization of America expresses "appall" at the Gaza resolution under
UN Security Council consideration – and especially at the US for
apparently agreeing to it.

The proposed
ceasefire resolution does not specifically condemn Hamas by name, but
rather equates Hamas terrorism and the Israeli response to it. The
resolution wording condemns "all violence and hostilities directed
against civilians, as well as indiscriminate attacks resulting in
civilian casualties, and all acts of terrorism." No differentiation is
made between the "indiscriminate attacks" launched by Hamas and intended
to kill unarmed civilians, and the Israeli counter-attacks designed to
kill only terrorists who hide behind civilians.

ZOA
National President Morton A. Klein said yesterday, "We are appalled
that President Obama has chosen to join this initiative to pass a UN
Security Council resolution that would grant a tremendous victory to
Hamas -- a practical victory, in terms of easing the blockade on
Hamas-controlled Gaza, and a moral one, by having the military action of
both Israel and Hamas condemned as if they were of equal moral
quality."

The resolution under UN
consideration was framed by British, French and German diplomats. It was
learned yesterday that the U.S. had also joined the initiative. The ZOA
also condemned the ceasefire proposal for calling to lift parts of
Israel's lawful blockade of Gaza. The organization notes that the
blockade is designed to prevent weaponry and war materiel reaching
Hamas.

Klein termed the resolution "morally
worthless," in that it does not condemn the Hamas terrorist aggressor by
name, even though Hamas is listed by both the US and the EU as a
terrorist organization that actively calls for the destruction of
Israel. He added that though this is the type of resolution that would
normally result in either a US veto or appropriate modifications,
"instead, the Obama Administration appears to have climbed on board this
shabby, dishonest and fraudulent document, which represent amoral
politics of the lowest common denominator."

The
ZOA found some positive in the proposed resolution: "We are aware the
resolution contains other, useful elements -- prohibition of the sale or
supply of weapons and munitions to Gaza, security arrangements to
prevent resumption of hostilities -- but long experience of the UN
system has shown that these calls are merely aspirational and rarely
lead to any results."

"We call upon the U.S.
Congress and indeed all Americans to urge the Obama Administration to
amend or else veto this resolution," the ZOA concludes.﻿

Iran
Hails Hamas 'Victory', Qatar Offers Money. Gaza terror sponsors say the
Gaza campaign 'brought Israel to its knees' and paves the way for final
defeat of Israel. By AFP and Arutz Sheva. First Publish: 8/27/2014,
Qatar's Emir Sheikh Hamad and Mashaal. Two of Hamas's major sponsors
and backers, Iran and Qatar, have hailed the ceasefire agreement it
reached with Israel Tuesday as a victory for the Gaza terror
organization. Iran said Wednesday that Palestinians had emerged the
victors and brought their Israeli foe "to its knees" during the 50-day
conflict. "The heroic Palestinian people have forged a new era with the
victory of the resistance which has brought the Zionist regime to its
knees," the foreign ministry said in a statement. "This victory prepares
the way for the final liberation of all the occupied lands especially
Quds (Jerusalem)," it said, congratulating the Palestinian people and
the terror groups in Gaza that Iran supports. Iran used to give Hamas
over $20 million per month but scaled back its support two years ago,
when Hamas sided publicly with the Syrian rebels fighting President
Bashar Assad. Assad enjoys the support of Iran and its proxy, Hezbollah.
There has been a recent rapprochment, however, between Hamas and Iran,
which continues to actively back the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ)
terror group. Weapons sent from Iran to Gaza on the Klos C vessel, which
was intercepted by Israel, appear to have been meant mostly for the
PIJ. Qatar, a key backer of Hamas, hailed the Gaza ceasefire accord and
offered to help rebuild the enclave battered by seven weeks of Israeli
bombardment. The accord for a long-term ceasefire was thanks "firstly to
the resistance and the sacrifices" of the Palestinians, the gas-rich
Gulf emirate said in a statement. It said Qatar, which is home to Khaled
Meshaal, the exiled chief of the Islamist movement Hamas, was "ready to
contribute to the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip as soon as
possible". The conflict, which began on July 8 when Israel launched
Operation Protective Edge in a bid to stamp out cross-border rocket
fire, cost the lives of 2,143 Palestinians and 70 on the Israeli side.﻿

Likud
Minister Says Gaza Operation was 'For Nothing'. Intelligence Minister
Steinitz tells BBC that Israel paid a 'heavy price' in 50 day operation
against Hamas, no 'significant' gains. By Ari Yashar. 8/27/2014,
Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz (Likud) spoke in an interview on
Wednesday about Operation Protective Edge, which reached a somewhat
anti-climatic conclusion the night before at 7 p.m., when a ceasefire
was signed between Israel and the terror organization Hamas. Talking to
BBC's HARDtalk TV program, Steinitz summarized the 50 day operation as
being "for nothing. This was an unnecessary round of violence between us
and the Palestinians - the Hamas in Gaza - that brought only misery and
suffering on both sides, without any significant cause, without any
significant effect." Nevertheless Steinitz, a close associate of Prime
Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, rejected the interviewer's assertion that
the operation was a "strategic failure" for Israel, noting that the goal
was to protect Israel's citizens. "If we now will have a long
ceasefire, and if we did resume our deterrence capacity vis-a-vis Hamas
and similar organizations, then we achieved our goal," remarked the
minister. However, he noted that any possible benefits in terms of
security came at a very "heavy price." "We paid a very expensive price
with 70 casualties on our side, with people that have to flee their
homes in the south of Israel because of the daily barrages of rockets
and mortars. This is a heavy price for a democratic state to pay,"
concluded Steinitz.

While Netanyahu's office
has declared the operation a victory, noting that Hamas was seriously
damaged in the clash and didn't receive it's extravagant demands, the
details of the ceasefire agreement have raised serious criticism in
Israel. Palestinian Authority (PA) delegation head Azzam al-Ahmed
revealed Tuesday night that Israel agreed to ease the borders on Gaza
and allow humanitarian and even some construction goods in immediately,
as well as lifting restrictions on the fishing zone. The deal also paves
the way for talks in a month in which Hamas will demand a sea and
airport in Gaza, and will negotiate a swap of hundreds of terrorists for
the bodies of IDF soldiers Second Lt. Hadar Goldin and First Sgt. Oron
Shaul hy''d, who were killed in the operation.

Israel's
lone demand of disarming Gaza was flatly rejected in the deal, putting
discussions on the request off until later discussions in a month's
time.﻿

Israel is claiming victory in the 50-day war with Hamas, which temporarily ended in a ceasefire that went into force Tuesday.

"We
were victorious in the negotiation phase," said Liran Dan, Head of the
National Information Directorate in the Prime Minister's Office, in an
interview with IDF Radio Wednesday. "The military blow that the IDF
dealt Hamas – the hardest it has experienced since it was founded – was
heavy and meaningful. What we saw is that in a prolonged and well
executed campaign, Hamas suffered a harsh military blow and damage to
the most heavily constructed arrays it built."

Idan
said that Hamas built up networks of rockets, attack tunnels and terror
forces over years with the intent of using them against Israel, and
these have been smashed by the IDF. "We should ask the opposite
question," Dan said. "What has Hamas achieved with this campaign? It set
out with a very clear goal and did not achieve it." Hamas wanted sea
and air ports, it wanted funding allowed into Gaza, it wanted the
blockade of Gaza lifted, it wanted the terrorists who were released in
the Schalit deal and recently rearrested released, it wanted Turkey and
Qatar to mediate in the negotiations, and received none of these things,
he noted. Hamas thought that the Israeli public's spirit would break
after one week's fighting, and was proved wrong, he insisted. Dan also
noted that Hamas's order of battle is larger than that of the entire
Islamic State.

Prime Minister Binyamin
Netanyahu did not hold a Cabinet vote on the decision to cease fire. He
relied on a legal opinion that allows him to make the decision on his
own, without Cabinet approval. Netanyahu preferred not to bring the
matter to a vote because he would have faced opposition from four
ministers – Naftali Bennett (Jewish Home), Avigdor Liberman and Yitzchak
Aharonovich (Yisrael Beytenu) and Gilad Erdan (Likud).

Residents
of the Gaza Belt are very unhappy about the cease fire, but Brigadier
General Motti Almoz, the IDF Spokesman, promised the residents that IDF
forces will not be withdrawn from the Gaza Belt any time soon.

"We
are present around the Gaza Belt all of the time and we will not leave
it until we see the situation stabilizing," he assured. "We are doing
this with a lot of love and there is no argument or disagreement with
the residents of the Gaza Belt. The residents have experienced
something. The burden of proof is on us, and we understand this. We will
not budge from there until trust is restored." The celebrations in Gaza
are not surprising but they do not represent the true feelings in the
leadership of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, he added. "It will take ten years
to repair the damage caused to Gaza in this operation, but it has the
potential to create a completely different security reality. The fact
that entire strategic arrays of Hamas have collapsed is very clear.

Analysis:
New Turkish PM's 'Pan-Islamic' Foreign Policy. Former foreign minister
Ahmet Davutoglu brings with him a troubled foreign policy legacy of
support for jihadists, isolation from west. By AFP. First Publish:
8/27/2014, 9:54 AM. New Turkish prime minister Ahmet Davutoglu. Turkey's
new premier and outgoing foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu leaves his
successor a troubled legacy after a bold policy to expand Turkish
influence across the ex-Ottoman empire left the country painfully
exposed to the Syria and Iraq crises. Critics accuse Davutoglu of
pursuing ideas that backfired disastrously by backing Islamic rebels in
Syria who then went on to create the brutal Islamic State (IS) jihadist
group. Moderates are calling for a recalibration of Turkish foreign
policy when outgoing Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan takes the
presidency on Thursday to mend fences with the West and pursue more
realistic goals in the Middle East. Yet this is far from guaranteed
under Erdogan, who said his election victory was not just for Turkey but
the Muslim world from Sarajevo to Islamabad.

"With
this approach, Turkey has increased its profile but also found itself a
part of many conflicts in the region," said Ozgur Unluhisarcikli,
director at the German Marshall Fund think-tank in Ankara. The identity
of Turkey's new top diplomat is yet to be revealed but reports it could
be the head of Turkey's secret service Hakan Fidan, an Erdogan loyalist,
hardly suggest a sharp about-turn in policy. Davutoglu's unassuming and
smiley demeanor belied his reputation as a steely idealogue who was the
architect of Turkish foreign policy for most of the past decade. His
thinking is based on his 2001 book "Strategic Depth", where he argues
that Turkey should embrace its Ottoman past and use its unique
geo-strategic position to restore its influence throughout the Balkans,
the Caucasus and the Middle East. But initial successes in asserting
Turkey's power were cancelled out after the Arab Spring uprising when
interventionist Turkish policies only brought more strife. 'Crazy and
irresponsible'. Turkey stands accused of arming radical groups fighting
against the Syrian regime, in the hope that it would quickly bring down
President Bashar al-Assad. "Incapable of convincing its former ally
Assad to engage in reforms, Turkey took the crazy and irresponsible
decision to support - directly or indirectly - the jihadists," said
Bayram Balci of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He said
Turkey's ambiguous relations with the jihadists contributed to their
growth in Syria and Iraq. In a huge personal embarrassment for
Davutoglu, IS militants are now holding 49 Turks hostage, including
diplomats and children, abducted from the Turkish consulate in Mosul on
June 12. Critics have expressed bewilderment that despite such failures,
Davutoglu has been promoted. "You, yourself, handed over the hostages
to IS. You have molded IS into its current shape," said the opposition
Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu. "It's amazing
how he has been rewarded," he said. As the world takes on IS, Ankara
has remained silent in order not to endanger the lives of the hostages
who are believed to be kept as human shields. A Western diplomat said it
was Davutoglu's unrealistic assumptions about Turkey's power that
pushed the country to become a part of the problem. "Turkey cannot
pursue an ambitious foreign policy in the region anymore because it has
so many security concerns right now. It can only do damage control and
try to minimise the losses that can occur from the crisis on its
doorstep," he told AFP on condition of anonymity. NATO member Turkey's
relations with Israel have eroded almost to breaking point, in the wake
of Erdogan's blistering attacks on the Jewish state. EU, US relations
soured. Meanwhile, Erdogan's periodic clampdowns on social media and
anti-government protests have also soured relations with the United
States and the European Union.

"Improving
relations with the US and the EU will take improving democracy, freedom
of expression and rule of law in Turkey," said Unluhisarcikli. Political
scientist Behlul Ozkan - who has analysed academic articles Davutoglu
penned in the 1990s - describes him as "a pan-Islamist who uses Islam to
achieve his foreign policy goals".

"He
(Davutoglu) believes that the nation-states that were formed in 1918
were artificial... He wants to go back in time to an order based on
Islamic unity," Ozkan told the Taraf newspaper.

Still,
his policies remain hugely popular among the AKP's pious voters, who
hail Davutoglu for raising the country's international profile.
"Davutoglu has opened a new chapter in foreign policy thinking by
positioning Turkey as a country of the center" Ibrahim Kalin, one of
Erdogan's advisors, wrote in the pro-government Sabah newspaper. "He has
refused to confine Turkey just to the East or to the West."﻿

On
Tuesday evening, August 26, the Egyptian Foreign Minister announced a
ceasefire, which entered into effect at 7 pm.​ Israel has agreed to
Egyptian proposal for ceasefire that will be unlimited in time. Since
the start of Operation Protective Edge, 4,450 rockets have been fired at
Israel from Gaza - over 900 since the violation of the ceasefire on
August 19 - killing six civilians. What did the IDF accomplish in Gaza?

A
rocket hit an Ashkelon home Tuesday morning, wounding over 20 people,
including six young children.Hamas claimed responsibility for the
attack. In the afternoon, a rocket exploded in the playground of a
kindergarten in Ashdod.

Shortly before 6:00
pm, Ze'ev Etzion, 55, and Shahar Melamed, 43, of Kibbutz Nirim were
killed and four wounded in a mortar attack on the Eshkol region. On
Tuesday evening, the Egyptian Foreign Minister announced a ceasefire,
which entered into effect at 7 pm. Until then, rocket alerts sounded
throughout Israel's south. Hamas claimed responsibility for a rocket
fired towards Tel Aviv. Ashkelon home hit by rocket from Gaza

Again,
over 100 rockets were fired at Israeli cities and communities in the
south and the Tel Aviv area. Two rockets fired from Lebanon at northern
Israel.

August 24

A
total of 135 rockets were fired at Israel in the course of the day -
over 600 since the violation of the ceasefire on August 19. A rocket
launched towards Jerusalem was intercepted.

Three
Israeli-Arab taxi drivers waiting to pick up Gazan residents and bring
them into Israel for medical treatment were wounded - two seriously - by
mortar shells fired at the Erez Crossing as Palestinians from Gaza were
entering Israel for medical care, forcing the closing of the crossing.
Soldiers evacuated the wounded as mortars continued to fall on the
crossing specifically designated for the passage of Palestinians in need
of medical and humanitarian assistance.

Overnight,
a rocket fired from Lebanon hit a building in the Upper Galilee,
injuring two children with shrapnel. Later five rockets fired from
Syria, exploding in the Golan Heights.

August 22

6:30
pm - A 4-year-old boy, Daniel Tragerman, was killed in a direct mortar
hit outside his home in a kibbutz in the Sha'ar Hanegev area.

IDF
Spokesperson: The mortar was launched near the Jafar Ali Ibn Taleb
school in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City. The school is currently
serving as a shelter for displaced residents of Gaza.

A
total of nine civilians were wounded - one critically - in rocket
attacks, including a direct hit on an Ashdod synagogue, a Sderot home,
near a preschool in Beersheba, and in the Ashdod area.

Daniel Tragerman

4-year-old Daniel Tragerman killed by mortar fire

Ashdod synagogue damaged by rocket

Copyright: Magen David Adom

August 21

In
a rocket barrage directed at a kibbutz in the Eshkol Regional Council,
one man suffered serious chest wounds when a rocket exploded in a
building that houses 3-year-old children. He had come to celebrate his
son's third birthday, and shielded the children with his body.

Israel targeted senior Hamas commanders in Gaza.

August 20

Rocket
fire directed at cities and communities in southern Israel continues
since 6 am. In the early evening, a rocket was also intercepted over Tel
Aviv. According to the IDF Spokesperson, more than 200 rockets have
been fired at Israel since Tuesday afternoon.

August 19

At about 3:30 pm, three rockets fired from Gaza hit Beersheva and Netivot, violating the ceasefire.​

The
rocket fire on Israel today was a gross violation of the ceasefire.
This is the eleventh ceasefire that Hamas has either rejected or
violated.

Following the renewed rocket fire, the IDF struck terrorist targets in Gaza.

Israel
will not negotiate under fire; the Cairo talks were premised on the
cessation of all hostilities. The Israeli negotiating team has been
called back from Cairo as a result of today's rocket fire.

Rockets
struck throughout southern Israel, including a shopping center in the
Ashkelon coast region, as well as in Tel Aviv and, shortly before
midnight, the Jerusalem area.​ A total of 50 rockets were fired from
Gaza during the day.

August 18

PM
Netanyahu: "The Israeli team in Cairo has been instructed to insist on
Israel's security needs and the IDF is prepared for very strong action
if fire is resumed."

DM Yaalon: "Operation
Protective Edge is not over. As we promised, we will not stop until we
bring quiet and security. We are prepared for the results of the
discussions in Cairo whether it brings quiet or if someone tries to
challenge us with escalation."

August 17

PM
Netanyahu at Cabinet meeting: "From the first day, the Israeli
delegation to Cairo has worked under clear instructions: Insist on the
security needs of the State of Israel. Only if there is a clear response
to our security needs will we agree to reach understandings... If Hamas
thinks that it can cover up its military loss with a diplomatic
achievement, it is mistaken. If Hamas thinks that continued sporadic
firing will cause us to make concessions, it is mistaken."

Despite
the firing of eight rockets towards the end of the 72-hour ceasefire at
midnight on Wednesday, 13 August, the ceasefire has been extended for
five days, until midnight on Monday, 18 August.

August 11

The Kerem Shalom Crossing, closed on Sunday due to rocket fire, was reopened.

August 10

Since the end of the ceasefire (8:01 on Friday, August 8), Hamas has fired over 130 rockets at Israel.

At
12:30pm a barrage of rockets struck inside the Kerem Shalom Crossing
through which humanitarian supplies are transfered from Israel to Gaza,
forcing its temporary closure until workers can safely operate in the
area, and preventing 280 trucks of humanitarian aid, including food and
medical supplies, from reaching the people of Gaza.

PM
Netanyahu to Cabinet: "Operation Protective Edge is continuing. At no
stage did we declare its conclusion. The operation will continue until
its goal is met - the restoration of quiet for a long period... Israel
will not negotiate under fire and Israel will continue to take all
action in order to change the current reality and bring quiet to all of
its citizens..."

PM Netanyahu to Pres Rivlin:
"We said at the start of the operation that Israel would not negotiate
under fire and we have proven that we stand behind these words. Since
Hamas violated the ceasefire on Friday, the IDF has struck it very hard.
We are determined to achieve the goal of Operation Protective Edge -
the restoration of quiet for the residents of Israel for a lengthy
period while striking significantly at the terrorist organizations. I
said at the beginning of the operation: We will achieve this either
militarily or diplomatically, or by a combination of both."

An
Egyptian-brokered 72-hour ceasefire came into effect at midnight on
Sunday, after Israel said it would not negotiate in Cairo unless the
rockets stopped. Minutes before the declared ceasefire, rockets were
fired at Beersheba and Tel Aviv, following a day of rocket fire directed
at Israel's south.

August 8

Israel
agreed to Egypt's call to extend the 72-hour ceasefire. Shortly after 4
am, with the ceasefire still in effect, two rockets struck in open
areas near the Eshkol Regional Council.

At
8:01, two rockets were fired towards Ashkelon, marking the renewal of
rocket fire from Gaza, as Hamas refused to extend the 72-hour
ceasefire.

By 10 am, over 18 rockets were
fired from Gaza at Israel: 2 were intercepted over Ashkelon, 14 hit open
areas and 2 landed in Gaza.​ At 10:30 rockets were fired at Sderot.

After 2.5 hours of rocket fire from Gaza, PM Netanyahu and DM Yaalon ordered the IDF to respond with force.

Rocket fire since August 8, 2014

Copyright: ITIC

Lt.
Col. Peter Lerner, IDF Spokesman: "The renewed rocket attacks by
terrorists at Israel are unacceptable, intolerable and shortsighted.
Hamas' bad decision to breach the ceasefire will be pursued by the IDF,
we will continue to strike Hamas, its infrastructure, its operatives and
restore security for the State of Israel."​

Two
people were wounded in Shaar Hanegev when a rocket exploded near a
residential building. A home in Sderot was also struck by a rocket. A
total of 61 rockets were fired at Israel from Gaza, 13 of them exploding
inside Gaza.

August 7

The
72-hour ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is holding as it enters its
third day, with no rockets being fired at Israel. All IDF forces have
moved out of the Gaza Strip.

During the 29
days of fighting, the IDF forces dealt a significant blow to the
terrorist infrastructures of Hamas, the PIJ and the other terrorist
organizations in the Gaza Strip. Thirty-two known tunnels used for
terrorist purposes were destroyed. During the operation 4,762 terrorist
targets were attacked from the air.

A total
of 64 IDF soldiers and three civilians were killed in Operation
Protective Edge, and about 450 soldiers and 80 civilians were wounded.

August 5

MFA
Spokesperson: "Israel has notified Egypt that it has agreed to their
ceasefire proposal." The 72-hour ceasefire went into effect at 8:00 AM.
http://mfa.gov.il/MFA/ForeignPolicy/Terrorism/Pages/Rise-in-rocket-fire-from-Gaza-3-Jul-2014.aspx

IDF
Spokesperson: All ground troops will have pulled out of the Gaza Strip
by the start of the ceasefire. The IDF will maintain defensive positions
near the Gaza border. Israel completed the destruction of 32
cross-border tunnels.

In the last hour
before the ceasefire, rocket barrages are fired at Ashdod, Ashkelon,
Beersheba, Rishon Lezion, Gush Etzion, Bethlehem and Maale Adumim, east
of Jerusalem.

An M-75 rocket fired from Gaza
in the minutes before the ceasefire took effect landed near a mosque,
striking a home in Beit Sahour, located between Jerusalem and Bethlehem.

Copyright: IDF Spokesperson

August 4

Israel
authorized a humanitarian window to take place in the Gaza Strip from
10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The IDF will continue to neutralize the Hamas
tunnel network and will respond to any attempt to harm Israeli civilians
or IDF soldiers.

August 3

IDF
Spokesperson: On the evening of Monday, July 28, IDF forces operating
in the area of the Karni Crossing engaged terrorists emerging from a
terror tunnel inside Israeli territory. Five soldiers were killed.
During the operational activity to neutralize the tunnel, IDF forces
found a wide array of weaponry, including rocket-propelled grenades,
mortars, explosives, launchers, and AK-47 assault rifles. In addition,
three motorcycles were found, ready for use, facing the opening of the
tunnel into Israeli territory, intended for use in a complex terror
attack on Israeli residential communities in close proximity to the Gaza
border. (See video below)

At
11:30 pm, a special committee led by the IDF Chief Rabbi announced the
death of Lt. Hadar Goldin, 23, an infantry officer in the Givati Brigade
who was killed in battle in the Gaza Strip on Friday.

Over
the past 24 hours, the IDF struck 200 terror targets in the Gaza Strip,
including tunnels, weapon manufacturing and storage facilities, and
command and control centers. Among the targets was a Hamas military wing
facility that was used for research and development of weapon
manufacturing located within the Islamic University. In addition, weapon
caches and Hamas command and training facilities concealed within five
Gazan mosques were targeted. IAF aircraft targeted the launcher used to
fire at the Tel Aviv area earlier this morning.

Palestinian
terrorists fired 11 mortars from the vicinity of an UNRWA school in
ZeitounPalestinian terrorists fired 11 mortars from the vicinity of an
UNRWA school in Zeitoun, Gaza

Two IDF soldiers were killed in the suspected kidnapping of 2nd-Lt. Hadar Goldin in Rafah.

IDF statement

PM Netanyahu speaks with US Secretary Kerry

Once
again, Hamas and the terror organizations in Gaza have violated the
ceasefire to which they committed themselves to the UN Secretary-General
and US Secretary of State Kerry.

UN special
envoy Robert Serry issues statement: He was informed by Israel of "a
serious incident this morning" during the truce involving "a tunnel
behind IDF lines in the Rafah area of the Gaza Strip." If confirmed,
"this would constitute a serious violation of the humanitarian ceasefire
in place since 8 am this morning by Gazan militant factions, which
should be condemned in the strongest terms."

White
House press calls the reported kidnapping of an IDF soldier by Hamas a
"barbaric violation of ceasefire agreement" negotiated by the United
States and United Nations.

US President
Obama: "I have - unequivocally condemned Hamas and the Palestinian
factions that were responsible for killing two Israeli soldiers and
abducting a third almost minutes after a ceasefire had been announced...

I
have been very clear throughout this crisis that Israel has a right to
defend itself. No country can tolerate missiles raining down on its
cities and people having to rush to bomb shelters every twenty minutes
or half hour. No country can or would tolerate tunnels being dug under
their land that can be used to launch terrorist attacks...

It's
going to be very hard to put a ceasefire back together again if
Israelis and the international community can't feel confident that Hamas
can follow through on a ceasefire commitment. And it's not particularly
relevant whether a particular leader in Hamas ordered this abduction,
the point is that when they sign onto a ceasefire, they're claiming to
speak for all the Palestinian factions. If they don't have control of
them and just moments after a ceasefire's signed you have Israeli
soldiers being killed and captured, then it's hard for the Israelis to
feel confident that a ceasefire can actually be honored. "

US
Secretary Kerry: "The United States condemns in the strongest possible
terms today's attack, which led to the killing of two Israeli soldiers
and the apparent abduction of another. It was an outrageous violation of
the cease-fire negotiated over the past several days, and of the
assurances given to the United States and the United Nations. Hamas,
which has security control over the Gaza Strip, must immediately and
unconditionally release the missing Israeli soldier... The international
community must now redouble its efforts to end the tunnel and rocket
attacks by Hamas terrorists on Israel and the suffering and loss of
civilian life."

UN
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon: "The Secretary-General condemns in the
strongest terms the reported violation by Hamas of the mutually agreed
humanitarian ceasefire which commenced this morning. He is shocked and
profoundly disappointed by these developments... Such moves call into
question the credibility of Hamas' assurances to the United Nations. The
Secretary-General demands the immediate and unconditional release of
the captured soldier."1:00am: Israel accepts humanitarian ceasefire

In
accordance with the authority granted by the Security Cabinet to the
Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense, Israel has accepted the
UN/US proposal for a 72-hour humanitarian cease-fire beginning 8:00 am
Friday, 1 August 2014.

Joint statement by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and US Secretary of State John Kerry on humanitarian ceasefire

7:00-8:00am: Barrage of rocket fire at southern Israel.

10:00am:
Despite ceasefire, rockets fired at Gaza periphery, including the Kerem
Shalom Crossing for humanitarian aid to Gaza, which was closed due to
rocket fire.

July 31

Five IDF soldiers were killed by mortar fire from Gaza near the Gaza border.

IDF
soldiers detonated the route of an offensive tunnel in the Gaza Strip.
They also uncovered several additional tunnel access points. IAF
aircraft targeted a squad of over 5 terrorists planting an explosive
device in the southern Gaza Strip. IAF aircraft targeted 40 terror
activity sites across the Gaza Strip, among them a tunnel used for
terror activity and a weapons manufacturing facility.

Map of rocket launches from Gaza.

July 30

Three
IDF soldiers were killed while uncovering an offensive tunnel shaft in a
residence in the southern Gaza Strip. The house and the tunnel were
booby-trapped with explosive devices that were detonated against the
soldiers.

The IDF authorized a temporary
humanitarian window in the Gaza Strip today between 15:00-19:00, which
did not apply to the areas in which IDF soldiers were operating. During
these four hours, 26 rockets were fired at Israel, two of which were
intercepted over Ashkelon and Netivot.

In the
past 24 hours, IDF infantry and engineering forces detonated three
tunnel routes in the Gaza Strip. Since midnight, the IDF targeted over
75 terror sites in Gaza. Overnight, the IAF targeted five mosques which
were utilized for terror purposes, such as concealing weapons and
housing tunnel access shafts.

The Hamas terror tunnels

July 29

Overnight,
the IDF targeted over 70 terror sites throughout the Gaza Strip,
including two sites used as Hamas command and control centers, four
weapon storage sites concealed within mosques, a concealed rocket
launcher near a mosque and an offensive tunnel.

In
the early hours of the morning, infrastructure of the treasury wing of
Hamas used to fund and manage Hamas' terror activities was targeted in
Gaza City.

The IDF also targeted the Al-Aqsa
broadcastingstation used to incite Palestinians against Israel, to
transmit orders and messages to Hamas terrorists, and to instruct Gaza
residents to ignore IDF warnings regarding upcoming military activity in
specific areas.

8:00pm: UNRWA announced it has found another rocket arsenal at one of its schools in the central Gaza Strip.

Where do Gaza terrorists hide their weapons?

July 28

Despite
requested humanitarian ceasefire, one rocket was fired at Ashkelon
(7:30am) and six at communities near the border with the Gaza Strip
(2pm). The IDF returned fire at rocket launchers.

Four
IDF soldiers were killed and six wounded in a mortar attack on an army
staging area in the Eshkol regional council, near the Gaza Strip. Hamas
claims responsibility for the attack.

IDF
thwarted attempt by terrorists from Gaza to infiltrate Israel near
Kibbutz Nahal Oz. A squad of Hamas terrorists emerged from a tunnel 150
meters inside Israel and opened fire on an an army position, killing
five soldiers. The soldiers in the lookout tower opened fire, killing at
least one of the terrorists, who failed to carry out a planned
abduction.

IDF denies involvement in the
blast at Shifa Hospital in the Gaza Strip on Monday afternoon: "Al-Shifa
Hospital and Al-Shati Refugee Camp were struck by failed rocket attacks
launched by Gaza terrorists."

News report:
The Hamas Fajr-5 rocket aimed at central Israel which was fired from a
playground outside Shifa Hospital and exploded on the site causing
casualties, had at least a 100 kg (220 lbs) warhead. IDF places
responsibility on Islamic Jihad.

Gaza terrorists fire rockets and hit their own civilians

July 27

Despite
Hamas' fire, Israel decided to extend the humanitarian ceasefire a
second time, until midnight Sunday night (27 July). In face of the
continued Hamas fire at Israeli cities and civilians, the IDF resumed
aerial, naval and ground activity in Gaza at 10:00 am. Hamas then asked
for a ceasefire which it itself continued to violate by continuing to
fire rockets at Israeli cities.

July 26

IDF
Spokesman: "From 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM, there will be a humanitarian
window in Gaza. During this time, operational activities to locate and
neutralize terror tunnels will continue. The IDF will respond if
terrorists exploit the lull to fire at Israeli soldiers or civilians."

Israel
respected the UN-requested humanitarian ceasefire from 8 am to 8 pm and
was ready to prolong it, but a few minutes after 8 pm Hamas resumed the
rocket barrage at Israel's cities.

July 25

At
noon on Friday, terrorists fired mortars and anti-tank missiles from
near an UNRWA school in Gaza, killing an IDF soldier. Another soldier
was killed Friday morning during fighting in the northern Gaza Strip.

IDF destroys rocket launchers ready for firing near two schools and a mosque in the Gaza Strip.

July 23

A
Thai agricultural worker was killed by a mortar fired from Gaza while
working in a greenhouse in one of the Israeli communities in the
Ashkelon Coast Regional Council.

Hamas
terrorists have turned Wafa Hospital in Gaza into a command center and a
rocket-launching site. The IDF is targeting specific sites and
terrorists within the grounds of the hospital, from which Hamas
continues to fire at our forces. The IDF repeatedly conveyed warnings to
the hospital staff and urged civilians to leave the area in advance.
Hamas is telling them to stay.

IDF Spokesman
Peter Lerner: "Hamas terrorists have been intentionally abusing the
hospital and other international protected symbols to indiscriminately
attack Israel and its civilians. The IDF is determined in preventing the
ongoing aggression by Hamas that is directed by a strategy of
exploitation and abuse of the civilian population and its wellbeing."

Four
IDF soldiers were killed early in the morning by a rocket-propelled
grenade, fired by Hamas gunmen who emerged from a tunnel dug from Gaza
into Israel near Kibbutz Nir Am. The Hamas cell, clad in IDF uniforms,
emerged from the tunnel, and waited for an approaching IDF jeep before
opening fire, killing the IDF officer and the three soldiers in the
vehicle.

Five more were killed fighting terrorists in Gaza.

The
tunnel infiltration involved two groups of Hamas gunmen. The second
cell emerged near Erez, on Israeli territory. Surveillance soldiers
spotted the infiltrators and summoned an aircraft to the area. The
aircraft opened fire, killing the gunmen.

July 20: 13 Israeli soldiers of the Golani Brigade were killed overnight in the course of the IDF operation in Gaza.

In the first incident, terrorists detonated an explosive device on an armored vehicle, causing the death of seven soldiers.

In
the second attack, terrorists opened fire at two IDF soldiers in the
northern Gaza Strip, killing one. Later, IDF soldiers were attacked by a
terrorist squad in northern Gaza, leading to the death of two soldiers.
Lastly, three IDF soldiers lost their lives when they became trapped in
a burning building.

Israel agrees to humanitarian window

Israel
agreed to the Red Cross request for a humanitarian window in Sejaiya
and will hold fire there from 13:30-15:30. Since July 8, Hamas has fired
over 140 rockets at Israel from Sejaiya, and 10 tunnel openings have
been uncovered.

IDF: Although we agreed to
the Red Cross' request to extend the a ceasefire in Sejaiya until 17:30,
Hamas has not stopped shooting from Sejaiya and opened fire from near
Wafa Hospital.﻿

Israel opened a field hospital on the Israeli side of the Erez Crossing for Palestinians in Gaza.

July 19: Terror infiltration from central Gaza

Two
IDF soldiers were killed when Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israeli
territory through a tunnel from the central Gaza Strip and ambushed a
military vehicle patrolling on the Israeli side of the border.

Items
found after the attack, including handcuffs and bottles containing
sedatives, indicate that Hamas planned to kill and kidnap soldiers
and/or civilians and take them back to Gaza.

The IDF has uncovered 13 tunnels and over 30 tunnel entrances.

July 17: Terror tunnel

Early
Thursday morning (July 17), just a few hours before the start of a
humanitarian ceasefire, IDF forces thwarted an attack by Hamas
terrorists who attempted to infiltrate Israel via a terror tunnel,
preventing the terrorists from attacking an Israeli kibbutz.

"Humanitarian window"

Following
requests by representatives of the UN and other international
organizations on Wednesday evening (July 16, 2014), the IDF has declared
a "humanitarian window" in Gaza on Thursday, 17 July between
10:00-15:00. The purpose of the humanitarian window is to allow the
civilian population in Gaza to get needed supplies such as food and
medications. During this time the IDF will not initiate military actions
in Gaza, but will respond in case Israel is attacked.

July 15: Egyptian ceasefire proposal

Israel
accepted an earlier Egyptian proposal for a ceasefire to begin on
Tuesday morning, 15 July 2014, at 09:00. This proposal was rejected by
Hamas.

PM Netanyahu: "If Hamas rejects the
Egyptian proposal, and the rocket fire from Gaza does not cease, and
that appears to be the case now, we are prepared to continue and
intensify our operation to protect our people. For this we have kept
full support from the responsible members of the international
community."

IDF Spokesman Lt. Col. Peter
Lerner: "In according with the government directives, the IDF now holds
fire. We remain alert and preserve high preparedness levels, both
defensive and offensive. If the Hamas terror organization will fire at
Israel, we shall respond."

Five hours later,
following the continuation of rocket fire from Gaza, PM Netanyahu said:
"Hamas's rejection of the cease fire gives Israel full legitimacy to
expand the operation to protect our people."

At
3pm the IDF Spokesperson announced: "After six hours of unilateral
attacks by Hamas, the IDF has resumed operational activity in the Gaza
Strip. Since 9am Tuesday, about 50 rockets were fired at Israel." The
IDF struck at Hamas tunnels, 20 concealed rocket launchers, weapons
storage facilities and other operational infrastructure.

July 14

During
the course of the day, at keast 115 rockets were fired from Gaza
towards Israel, of which at least 92 rockets struck Israel and 15 were
intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system.

July 13

During
the course of the day, at least 102 rockets struck Israel and 22 were
intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system.

During
the course of the day, at least 129 rockets were fired from Gaza
towards Israel, of which at least 117 rockets struck Israel and 9 were
intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system.

July 11

During
the course of the day, more than 140 rockets were fired from Gaza
towards Israel, of which at least 107 rockets struck Israel and 27 were
intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system.

July 10

Palestinian
terrorists in Gaza fired 192 rockets at Israel on Thursday, July 10.
141 of them hit Israel, and an additional 44 were intercepted by Iron
Dome.

July 8 - IDF commences Operation Protective Edge against Hamas

Since
June 12, southern Israel has been the target of ever-increasing rocket
and other terrorist attacks from the Gaza Strip, aimed deliberately at
civilian targets.

Cabinet approves ground
operation - July 17. PM Netanyahu and DM Yaalon (17 July 2014)
instructed the IDF to commence ground action to strike at the terrorist
tunnels from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory.

The
cabinet approved the ground operation after Israel agreed to the
Egyptian cease-fire proposal and Hamas rejected it and continued to fire
rockets on Israel's cities. Hamas also violated the UN-requested
humanitarian cease-fire by continuing to fire on Israel.

Israel
will defend its citizens in response to Hamas's unceasing aggression
and infiltrations into Israeli territory, as it did Thursday morning
when Hamas terrorists crossed into Israel via one of the tunnels with
the goal of carrying out a mass casualty attack against Israeli
civilians.

Operation Protective Edge will
continue until its goals are reached - restoring sustained peace and
quiet to the citizens of Israel, while striking hard at the terrorist
infrastructure of Hamas and the other Palestinian terrorist groups in
Gaza.

Israel is doing everything it can to
avoid civilian casualties. By contrast, Hamas is using Palestinian
civilians as human shields and is responsible for any harm that comes to
them. To give but one example, the UN announced today that Hamas had
hidden rockets in an UNRWA school in Gaza.

The
international community has recognized that Israel has made significant
efforts to restore peace and quiet and that it has the right to defend
itself.

* * *
The expanding rocket threat. Daily distribution of rocket fire from the
Gaza Strip during Operation Protective Edge. Source: ITIC. Note: Rocket
hits inside Israeli territory, not including the massive mortar shell
fire into the western Negev or rocket launches that failed. Some of the
rockets fired from Gaza have fallen within the Gaza Strip.

Hamas
fires from civilian areas... and hits its own people. Hamas hits its
own people. A rocket fired from Gaza fell short and exploded at the
UNRWA warehouses causing a massive fire. On Sunday, July 13, a rocket
fired from Gaza hit electricity infrastructure in Israel that supplied
power to Gaza, cutting power to about 70,000 people in Gaza.

On
July 16, two out of the ten high-power lines that Israel uses to
provide electricity to Gaza were again hit by Hamas rockets. The Israeli
Electricity Corporation (IEC), which provides power to Gaza, will not
be able to repair the two lines due to the immediate threat to the lives
of its technicians when doing repairs in open areas subject to frequent
rocket attacks.

Gaza terrorists fire rockets
and hit their own civilians. Background ] Since the beginning of the
year, until the launching of Operation Protective Edge, Gaza terrorists
fired more than 450 rockets towards Israeli citizens. The attacks sent
thousands running into bomb shelters, threatening millions of Israeli
lives. In order to restore quiet to the region and stop Hamas terrorism,
the IDF has commenced Operation Protective Edge. Since Operation Pillar
of Defense in November 2012, Hamas has continued to arm itself with
vast amounts of weaponry and is currently in possession of 10,000
rockets. Hamas deliberately and systematically exploits Palestinians and
uses them as human shields when firing at Israel. With the increased
range of rockets, some 6 million Israelis are currently living under the
threat of rocket attacks. No nation would accept this reality. Although
Israel's Iron Dome Missile Defense system stops some of the attacks,
most rockets are capable of reaching Israel's biggest cities. More than
half a million Israelis have less than 60 seconds to find shelter after a
rocket is launched from Gaza into Israel. Many have only 15 seconds.

Monday,
June 30 saw a sharp escalation in rocket fire, with the intensification
in attacks beginning in the morning, prior to the discovery of the
boys' bodies. That day, Hamas itself fired rockets.

These
rockets have injured Israelis, damaged cars, homes and property. On
Thursday morning (3 July) a rocket hit a nursery school and rockets
burned two factories in Sderot to the ground (28 June).

In
addition to the rocket attacks, Palestinians have carried out
cross-border attacks from Gaza. A terrorist armed with a grenade
infiltrated an Israeli village (22 June) and Israeli forces were
attacked on 28 and 29 June.

Hamas controls the Gaza Strip since 2007 and bears responsibility for the rocket attacks.

On
Tuesday evening, August 26, the Egyptian Foreign Minister announced a
ceasefire, which entered into effect at 7 pm.​ Israel has agreed to
Egyptian proposal for ceasefire that will be unlimited in time. Since
the start of Operation Protective Edge, 4,450 rockets have been fired at
Israel from Gaza - over 900 since the violation of the ceasefire on
August 19 - killing six civilians. What did the IDF accomplish in Gaza?

A
rocket hit an Ashkelon home Tuesday morning, wounding over 20 people,
including six young children.Hamas claimed responsibility for the
attack. In the afternoon, a rocket exploded in the playground of a
kindergarten in Ashdod.

Shortly before 6:00
pm, Ze'ev Etzion, 55, and Shahar Melamed, 43, of Kibbutz Nirim were
killed and four wounded in a mortar attack on the Eshkol region. On
Tuesday evening, the Egyptian Foreign Minister announced a ceasefire,
which entered into effect at 7 pm. Until then, rocket alerts sounded
throughout Israel's south. Hamas claimed responsibility for a rocket
fired towards Tel Aviv. Ashkelon home hit by rocket from Gaza

Again,
over 100 rockets were fired at Israeli cities and communities in the
south and the Tel Aviv area. Two rockets fired from Lebanon at northern
Israel.

August 24

A
total of 135 rockets were fired at Israel in the course of the day -
over 600 since the violation of the ceasefire on August 19. A rocket
launched towards Jerusalem was intercepted.

Three
Israeli-Arab taxi drivers waiting to pick up Gazan residents and bring
them into Israel for medical treatment were wounded - two seriously - by
mortar shells fired at the Erez Crossing as Palestinians from Gaza were
entering Israel for medical care, forcing the closing of the crossing.
Soldiers evacuated the wounded as mortars continued to fall on the
crossing specifically designated for the passage of Palestinians in need
of medical and humanitarian assistance.

Overnight,
a rocket fired from Lebanon hit a building in the Upper Galilee,
injuring two children with shrapnel. Later five rockets fired from
Syria, exploding in the Golan Heights.

August 22

6:30
pm - A 4-year-old boy, Daniel Tragerman, was killed in a direct mortar
hit outside his home in a kibbutz in the Sha'ar Hanegev area.

IDF
Spokesperson: The mortar was launched near the Jafar Ali Ibn Taleb
school in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City. The school is currently
serving as a shelter for displaced residents of Gaza.

A
total of nine civilians were wounded - one critically - in rocket
attacks, including a direct hit on an Ashdod synagogue, a Sderot home,
near a preschool in Beersheba, and in the Ashdod area.

Daniel Tragerman

4-year-old Daniel Tragerman killed by mortar fire

Ashdod synagogue damaged by rocket

Copyright: Magen David Adom

August 21

In
a rocket barrage directed at a kibbutz in the Eshkol Regional Council,
one man suffered serious chest wounds when a rocket exploded in a
building that houses 3-year-old children. He had come to celebrate his
son's third birthday, and shielded the children with his body.

Israel targeted senior Hamas commanders in Gaza.

August 20

Rocket
fire directed at cities and communities in southern Israel continues
since 6 am. In the early evening, a rocket was also intercepted over Tel
Aviv. According to the IDF Spokesperson, more than 200 rockets have
been fired at Israel since Tuesday afternoon.

August 19

At about 3:30 pm, three rockets fired from Gaza hit Beersheva and Netivot, violating the ceasefire.​

The
rocket fire on Israel today was a gross violation of the ceasefire.
This is the eleventh ceasefire that Hamas has either rejected or
violated.

Following the renewed rocket fire, the IDF struck terrorist targets in Gaza.

Israel
will not negotiate under fire; the Cairo talks were premised on the
cessation of all hostilities. The Israeli negotiating team has been
called back from Cairo as a result of today's rocket fire.

Rockets
struck throughout southern Israel, including a shopping center in the
Ashkelon coast region, as well as in Tel Aviv and, shortly before
midnight, the Jerusalem area.​ A total of 50 rockets were fired from
Gaza during the day.

August 18

PM
Netanyahu: "The Israeli team in Cairo has been instructed to insist on
Israel's security needs and the IDF is prepared for very strong action
if fire is resumed."

DM Yaalon: "Operation
Protective Edge is not over. As we promised, we will not stop until we
bring quiet and security. We are prepared for the results of the
discussions in Cairo whether it brings quiet or if someone tries to
challenge us with escalation."

August 17

PM
Netanyahu at Cabinet meeting: "From the first day, the Israeli
delegation to Cairo has worked under clear instructions: Insist on the
security needs of the State of Israel. Only if there is a clear response
to our security needs will we agree to reach understandings... If Hamas
thinks that it can cover up its military loss with a diplomatic
achievement, it is mistaken. If Hamas thinks that continued sporadic
firing will cause us to make concessions, it is mistaken."

Despite
the firing of eight rockets towards the end of the 72-hour ceasefire at
midnight on Wednesday, 13 August, the ceasefire has been extended for
five days, until midnight on Monday, 18 August.

August 11

The Kerem Shalom Crossing, closed on Sunday due to rocket fire, was reopened.

August 10

Since the end of the ceasefire (8:01 on Friday, August 8), Hamas has fired over 130 rockets at Israel.

At
12:30pm a barrage of rockets struck inside the Kerem Shalom Crossing
through which humanitarian supplies are transfered from Israel to Gaza,
forcing its temporary closure until workers can safely operate in the
area, and preventing 280 trucks of humanitarian aid, including food and
medical supplies, from reaching the people of Gaza.

PM
Netanyahu to Cabinet: "Operation Protective Edge is continuing. At no
stage did we declare its conclusion. The operation will continue until
its goal is met - the restoration of quiet for a long period... Israel
will not negotiate under fire and Israel will continue to take all
action in order to change the current reality and bring quiet to all of
its citizens..."

PM Netanyahu to Pres Rivlin:
"We said at the start of the operation that Israel would not negotiate
under fire and we have proven that we stand behind these words. Since
Hamas violated the ceasefire on Friday, the IDF has struck it very hard.
We are determined to achieve the goal of Operation Protective Edge -
the restoration of quiet for the residents of Israel for a lengthy
period while striking significantly at the terrorist organizations. I
said at the beginning of the operation: We will achieve this either
militarily or diplomatically, or by a combination of both."

An
Egyptian-brokered 72-hour ceasefire came into effect at midnight on
Sunday, after Israel said it would not negotiate in Cairo unless the
rockets stopped. Minutes before the declared ceasefire, rockets were
fired at Beersheba and Tel Aviv, following a day of rocket fire directed
at Israel's south.

August 8

Israel
agreed to Egypt's call to extend the 72-hour ceasefire. Shortly after 4
am, with the ceasefire still in effect, two rockets struck in open
areas near the Eshkol Regional Council.

At
8:01, two rockets were fired towards Ashkelon, marking the renewal of
rocket fire from Gaza, as Hamas refused to extend the 72-hour
ceasefire.

By 10 am, over 18 rockets were
fired from Gaza at Israel: 2 were intercepted over Ashkelon, 14 hit open
areas and 2 landed in Gaza.​ At 10:30 rockets were fired at Sderot.

After 2.5 hours of rocket fire from Gaza, PM Netanyahu and DM Yaalon ordered the IDF to respond with force.

Rocket fire since August 8, 2014

Copyright: ITIC

Lt.
Col. Peter Lerner, IDF Spokesman: "The renewed rocket attacks by
terrorists at Israel are unacceptable, intolerable and shortsighted.
Hamas' bad decision to breach the ceasefire will be pursued by the IDF,
we will continue to strike Hamas, its infrastructure, its operatives and
restore security for the State of Israel."​

Two
people were wounded in Shaar Hanegev when a rocket exploded near a
residential building. A home in Sderot was also struck by a rocket. A
total of 61 rockets were fired at Israel from Gaza, 13 of them exploding
inside Gaza.

August 7

The
72-hour ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is holding as it enters its
third day, with no rockets being fired at Israel. All IDF forces have
moved out of the Gaza Strip.

During the 29
days of fighting, the IDF forces dealt a significant blow to the
terrorist infrastructures of Hamas, the PIJ and the other terrorist
organizations in the Gaza Strip. Thirty-two known tunnels used for
terrorist purposes were destroyed. During the operation 4,762 terrorist
targets were attacked from the air.

A total
of 64 IDF soldiers and three civilians were killed in Operation
Protective Edge, and about 450 soldiers and 80 civilians were wounded.

August 5

MFA
Spokesperson: "Israel has notified Egypt that it has agreed to their
ceasefire proposal." The 72-hour ceasefire went into effect at 8:00 AM.
http://mfa.gov.il/MFA/ForeignPolicy/Terrorism/Pages/Rise-in-rocket-fire-from-Gaza-3-Jul-2014.aspx

IDF
Spokesperson: All ground troops will have pulled out of the Gaza Strip
by the start of the ceasefire. The IDF will maintain defensive positions
near the Gaza border. Israel completed the destruction of 32
cross-border tunnels.

In the last hour
before the ceasefire, rocket barrages are fired at Ashdod, Ashkelon,
Beersheba, Rishon Lezion, Gush Etzion, Bethlehem and Maale Adumim, east
of Jerusalem.

An M-75 rocket fired from Gaza
in the minutes before the ceasefire took effect landed near a mosque,
striking a home in Beit Sahour, located between Jerusalem and Bethlehem.

Copyright: IDF Spokesperson

August 4

Israel
authorized a humanitarian window to take place in the Gaza Strip from
10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The IDF will continue to neutralize the Hamas
tunnel network and will respond to any attempt to harm Israeli civilians
or IDF soldiers.

August 3

IDF
Spokesperson: On the evening of Monday, July 28, IDF forces operating
in the area of the Karni Crossing engaged terrorists emerging from a
terror tunnel inside Israeli territory. Five soldiers were killed.
During the operational activity to neutralize the tunnel, IDF forces
found a wide array of weaponry, including rocket-propelled grenades,
mortars, explosives, launchers, and AK-47 assault rifles. In addition,
three motorcycles were found, ready for use, facing the opening of the
tunnel into Israeli territory, intended for use in a complex terror
attack on Israeli residential communities in close proximity to the Gaza
border. (See video below)

At
11:30 pm, a special committee led by the IDF Chief Rabbi announced the
death of Lt. Hadar Goldin, 23, an infantry officer in the Givati Brigade
who was killed in battle in the Gaza Strip on Friday.

Over
the past 24 hours, the IDF struck 200 terror targets in the Gaza Strip,
including tunnels, weapon manufacturing and storage facilities, and
command and control centers. Among the targets was a Hamas military wing
facility that was used for research and development of weapon
manufacturing located within the Islamic University. In addition, weapon
caches and Hamas command and training facilities concealed within five
Gazan mosques were targeted. IAF aircraft targeted the launcher used to
fire at the Tel Aviv area earlier this morning.

Palestinian
terrorists fired 11 mortars from the vicinity of an UNRWA school in
ZeitounPalestinian terrorists fired 11 mortars from the vicinity of an
UNRWA school in Zeitoun, Gaza

Two IDF soldiers were killed in the suspected kidnapping of 2nd-Lt. Hadar Goldin in Rafah.

IDF statement

PM Netanyahu speaks with US Secretary Kerry

Once
again, Hamas and the terror organizations in Gaza have violated the
ceasefire to which they committed themselves to the UN Secretary-General
and US Secretary of State Kerry.

UN special
envoy Robert Serry issues statement: He was informed by Israel of "a
serious incident this morning" during the truce involving "a tunnel
behind IDF lines in the Rafah area of the Gaza Strip." If confirmed,
"this would constitute a serious violation of the humanitarian ceasefire
in place since 8 am this morning by Gazan militant factions, which
should be condemned in the strongest terms."

White
House press calls the reported kidnapping of an IDF soldier by Hamas a
"barbaric violation of ceasefire agreement" negotiated by the United
States and United Nations.

US President
Obama: "I have - unequivocally condemned Hamas and the Palestinian
factions that were responsible for killing two Israeli soldiers and
abducting a third almost minutes after a ceasefire had been announced...

I
have been very clear throughout this crisis that Israel has a right to
defend itself. No country can tolerate missiles raining down on its
cities and people having to rush to bomb shelters every twenty minutes
or half hour. No country can or would tolerate tunnels being dug under
their land that can be used to launch terrorist attacks...

It's
going to be very hard to put a ceasefire back together again if
Israelis and the international community can't feel confident that Hamas
can follow through on a ceasefire commitment. And it's not particularly
relevant whether a particular leader in Hamas ordered this abduction,
the point is that when they sign onto a ceasefire, they're claiming to
speak for all the Palestinian factions. If they don't have control of
them and just moments after a ceasefire's signed you have Israeli
soldiers being killed and captured, then it's hard for the Israelis to
feel confident that a ceasefire can actually be honored. "

US
Secretary Kerry: "The United States condemns in the strongest possible
terms today's attack, which led to the killing of two Israeli soldiers
and the apparent abduction of another. It was an outrageous violation of
the cease-fire negotiated over the past several days, and of the
assurances given to the United States and the United Nations. Hamas,
which has security control over the Gaza Strip, must immediately and
unconditionally release the missing Israeli soldier... The international
community must now redouble its efforts to end the tunnel and rocket
attacks by Hamas terrorists on Israel and the suffering and loss of
civilian life."

UN
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon: "The Secretary-General condemns in the
strongest terms the reported violation by Hamas of the mutually agreed
humanitarian ceasefire which commenced this morning. He is shocked and
profoundly disappointed by these developments... Such moves call into
question the credibility of Hamas' assurances to the United Nations. The
Secretary-General demands the immediate and unconditional release of
the captured soldier."1:00am: Israel accepts humanitarian ceasefire

In
accordance with the authority granted by the Security Cabinet to the
Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense, Israel has accepted the
UN/US proposal for a 72-hour humanitarian cease-fire beginning 8:00 am
Friday, 1 August 2014.

Joint statement by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and US Secretary of State John Kerry on humanitarian ceasefire

7:00-8:00am: Barrage of rocket fire at southern Israel.

10:00am:
Despite ceasefire, rockets fired at Gaza periphery, including the Kerem
Shalom Crossing for humanitarian aid to Gaza, which was closed due to
rocket fire.

July 31

Five IDF soldiers were killed by mortar fire from Gaza near the Gaza border.

IDF
soldiers detonated the route of an offensive tunnel in the Gaza Strip.
They also uncovered several additional tunnel access points. IAF
aircraft targeted a squad of over 5 terrorists planting an explosive
device in the southern Gaza Strip. IAF aircraft targeted 40 terror
activity sites across the Gaza Strip, among them a tunnel used for
terror activity and a weapons manufacturing facility.

Map of rocket launches from Gaza.

July 30

Three
IDF soldiers were killed while uncovering an offensive tunnel shaft in a
residence in the southern Gaza Strip. The house and the tunnel were
booby-trapped with explosive devices that were detonated against the
soldiers.

The IDF authorized a temporary
humanitarian window in the Gaza Strip today between 15:00-19:00, which
did not apply to the areas in which IDF soldiers were operating. During
these four hours, 26 rockets were fired at Israel, two of which were
intercepted over Ashkelon and Netivot.

In the
past 24 hours, IDF infantry and engineering forces detonated three
tunnel routes in the Gaza Strip. Since midnight, the IDF targeted over
75 terror sites in Gaza. Overnight, the IAF targeted five mosques which
were utilized for terror purposes, such as concealing weapons and
housing tunnel access shafts.

The Hamas terror tunnels

July 29

Overnight,
the IDF targeted over 70 terror sites throughout the Gaza Strip,
including two sites used as Hamas command and control centers, four
weapon storage sites concealed within mosques, a concealed rocket
launcher near a mosque and an offensive tunnel.

In
the early hours of the morning, infrastructure of the treasury wing of
Hamas used to fund and manage Hamas' terror activities was targeted in
Gaza City.

The IDF also targeted the Al-Aqsa
broadcastingstation used to incite Palestinians against Israel, to
transmit orders and messages to Hamas terrorists, and to instruct Gaza
residents to ignore IDF warnings regarding upcoming military activity in
specific areas.

8:00pm: UNRWA announced it has found another rocket arsenal at one of its schools in the central Gaza Strip.

Where do Gaza terrorists hide their weapons?

July 28

Despite
requested humanitarian ceasefire, one rocket was fired at Ashkelon
(7:30am) and six at communities near the border with the Gaza Strip
(2pm). The IDF returned fire at rocket launchers.

Four
IDF soldiers were killed and six wounded in a mortar attack on an army
staging area in the Eshkol regional council, near the Gaza Strip. Hamas
claims responsibility for the attack.

IDF
thwarted attempt by terrorists from Gaza to infiltrate Israel near
Kibbutz Nahal Oz. A squad of Hamas terrorists emerged from a tunnel 150
meters inside Israel and opened fire on an an army position, killing
five soldiers. The soldiers in the lookout tower opened fire, killing at
least one of the terrorists, who failed to carry out a planned
abduction.

IDF denies involvement in the
blast at Shifa Hospital in the Gaza Strip on Monday afternoon: "Al-Shifa
Hospital and Al-Shati Refugee Camp were struck by failed rocket attacks
launched by Gaza terrorists."

News report:
The Hamas Fajr-5 rocket aimed at central Israel which was fired from a
playground outside Shifa Hospital and exploded on the site causing
casualties, had at least a 100 kg (220 lbs) warhead. IDF places
responsibility on Islamic Jihad.

Gaza terrorists fire rockets and hit their own civilians

July 27

Despite
Hamas' fire, Israel decided to extend the humanitarian ceasefire a
second time, until midnight Sunday night (27 July). In face of the
continued Hamas fire at Israeli cities and civilians, the IDF resumed
aerial, naval and ground activity in Gaza at 10:00 am. Hamas then asked
for a ceasefire which it itself continued to violate by continuing to
fire rockets at Israeli cities.

July 26

IDF
Spokesman: "From 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM, there will be a humanitarian
window in Gaza. During this time, operational activities to locate and
neutralize terror tunnels will continue. The IDF will respond if
terrorists exploit the lull to fire at Israeli soldiers or civilians."

Israel
respected the UN-requested humanitarian ceasefire from 8 am to 8 pm and
was ready to prolong it, but a few minutes after 8 pm Hamas resumed the
rocket barrage at Israel's cities.

July 25

At
noon on Friday, terrorists fired mortars and anti-tank missiles from
near an UNRWA school in Gaza, killing an IDF soldier. Another soldier
was killed Friday morning during fighting in the northern Gaza Strip.

IDF destroys rocket launchers ready for firing near two schools and a mosque in the Gaza Strip.

July 23

A
Thai agricultural worker was killed by a mortar fired from Gaza while
working in a greenhouse in one of the Israeli communities in the
Ashkelon Coast Regional Council.

Hamas
terrorists have turned Wafa Hospital in Gaza into a command center and a
rocket-launching site. The IDF is targeting specific sites and
terrorists within the grounds of the hospital, from which Hamas
continues to fire at our forces. The IDF repeatedly conveyed warnings to
the hospital staff and urged civilians to leave the area in advance.
Hamas is telling them to stay.

IDF Spokesman
Peter Lerner: "Hamas terrorists have been intentionally abusing the
hospital and other international protected symbols to indiscriminately
attack Israel and its civilians. The IDF is determined in preventing the
ongoing aggression by Hamas that is directed by a strategy of
exploitation and abuse of the civilian population and its wellbeing."

Four
IDF soldiers were killed early in the morning by a rocket-propelled
grenade, fired by Hamas gunmen who emerged from a tunnel dug from Gaza
into Israel near Kibbutz Nir Am. The Hamas cell, clad in IDF uniforms,
emerged from the tunnel, and waited for an approaching IDF jeep before
opening fire, killing the IDF officer and the three soldiers in the
vehicle.

Five more were killed fighting terrorists in Gaza.

The
tunnel infiltration involved two groups of Hamas gunmen. The second
cell emerged near Erez, on Israeli territory. Surveillance soldiers
spotted the infiltrators and summoned an aircraft to the area. The
aircraft opened fire, killing the gunmen.

July 20: 13 Israeli soldiers of the Golani Brigade were killed overnight in the course of the IDF operation in Gaza.

In the first incident, terrorists detonated an explosive device on an armored vehicle, causing the death of seven soldiers.

In
the second attack, terrorists opened fire at two IDF soldiers in the
northern Gaza Strip, killing one. Later, IDF soldiers were attacked by a
terrorist squad in northern Gaza, leading to the death of two soldiers.
Lastly, three IDF soldiers lost their lives when they became trapped in
a burning building.

Israel agrees to humanitarian window

Israel
agreed to the Red Cross request for a humanitarian window in Sejaiya
and will hold fire there from 13:30-15:30. Since July 8, Hamas has fired
over 140 rockets at Israel from Sejaiya, and 10 tunnel openings have
been uncovered.

IDF: Although we agreed to
the Red Cross' request to extend the a ceasefire in Sejaiya until 17:30,
Hamas has not stopped shooting from Sejaiya and opened fire from near
Wafa Hospital.

Israel opened a field hospital on the Israeli side of the Erez Crossing for Palestinians in Gaza.

July 19: Terror infiltration from central Gaza

Two
IDF soldiers were killed when Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israeli
territory through a tunnel from the central Gaza Strip and ambushed a
military vehicle patrolling on the Israeli side of the border.

Items
found after the attack, including handcuffs and bottles containing
sedatives, indicate that Hamas planned to kill and kidnap soldiers
and/or civilians and take them back to Gaza.

The IDF has uncovered 13 tunnels and over 30 tunnel entrances.

July 17: Terror tunnel

Early
Thursday morning (July 17), just a few hours before the start of a
humanitarian ceasefire, IDF forces thwarted an attack by Hamas
terrorists who attempted to infiltrate Israel via a terror tunnel,
preventing the terrorists from attacking an Israeli kibbutz.

"Humanitarian window"

Following
requests by representatives of the UN and other international
organizations on Wednesday evening (July 16, 2014), the IDF has declared
a "humanitarian window" in Gaza on Thursday, 17 July between
10:00-15:00. The purpose of the humanitarian window is to allow the
civilian population in Gaza to get needed supplies such as food and
medications. During this time the IDF will not initiate military actions
in Gaza, but will respond in case Israel is attacked.

July 15: Egyptian ceasefire proposal

Israel
accepted an earlier Egyptian proposal for a ceasefire to begin on
Tuesday morning, 15 July 2014, at 09:00. This proposal was rejected by
Hamas.

PM Netanyahu: "If Hamas rejects the
Egyptian proposal, and the rocket fire from Gaza does not cease, and
that appears to be the case now, we are prepared to continue and
intensify our operation to protect our people. For this we have kept
full support from the responsible members of the international
community."

IDF Spokesman Lt. Col. Peter
Lerner: "In according with the government directives, the IDF now holds
fire. We remain alert and preserve high preparedness levels, both
defensive and offensive. If the Hamas terror organization will fire at
Israel, we shall respond."

Five hours later,
following the continuation of rocket fire from Gaza, PM Netanyahu said:
"Hamas's rejection of the cease fire gives Israel full legitimacy to
expand the operation to protect our people."

At
3pm the IDF Spokesperson announced: "After six hours of unilateral
attacks by Hamas, the IDF has resumed operational activity in the Gaza
Strip. Since 9am Tuesday, about 50 rockets were fired at Israel." The
IDF struck at Hamas tunnels, 20 concealed rocket launchers, weapons
storage facilities and other operational infrastructure.

July 14

During
the course of the day, at keast 115 rockets were fired from Gaza
towards Israel, of which at least 92 rockets struck Israel and 15 were
intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system.

July 13

During
the course of the day, at least 102 rockets struck Israel and 22 were
intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system.

During
the course of the day, at least 129 rockets were fired from Gaza
towards Israel, of which at least 117 rockets struck Israel and 9 were
intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system.

July 11

During
the course of the day, more than 140 rockets were fired from Gaza
towards Israel, of which at least 107 rockets struck Israel and 27 were
intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system.

July 10

Palestinian
terrorists in Gaza fired 192 rockets at Israel on Thursday, July 10.
141 of them hit Israel, and an additional 44 were intercepted by Iron
Dome.

July 8 - IDF commences Operation Protective Edge against Hamas

Since
June 12, southern Israel has been the target of ever-increasing rocket
and other terrorist attacks from the Gaza Strip, aimed deliberately at
civilian targets.

Cabinet approves ground
operation - July 17. PM Netanyahu and DM Yaalon (17 July 2014)
instructed the IDF to commence ground action to strike at the terrorist
tunnels from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory.

The
cabinet approved the ground operation after Israel agreed to the
Egyptian cease-fire proposal and Hamas rejected it and continued to fire
rockets on Israel's cities. Hamas also violated the UN-requested
humanitarian cease-fire by continuing to fire on Israel.

Israel
will defend its citizens in response to Hamas's unceasing aggression
and infiltrations into Israeli territory, as it did Thursday morning
when Hamas terrorists crossed into Israel via one of the tunnels with
the goal of carrying out a mass casualty attack against Israeli
civilians.

Operation Protective Edge will
continue until its goals are reached - restoring sustained peace and
quiet to the citizens of Israel, while striking hard at the terrorist
infrastructure of Hamas and the other Palestinian terrorist groups in
Gaza.

Israel is doing everything it can to
avoid civilian casualties. By contrast, Hamas is using Palestinian
civilians as human shields and is responsible for any harm that comes to
them. To give but one example, the UN announced today that Hamas had
hidden rockets in an UNRWA school in Gaza.

The
international community has recognized that Israel has made significant
efforts to restore peace and quiet and that it has the right to defend
itself.

* * *
The expanding rocket threat. Daily distribution of rocket fire from the
Gaza Strip during Operation Protective Edge. Source: ITIC. Note: Rocket
hits inside Israeli territory, not including the massive mortar shell
fire into the western Negev or rocket launches that failed. Some of the
rockets fired from Gaza have fallen within the Gaza Strip.

Hamas
fires from civilian areas... and hits its own people. Hamas hits its
own people. A rocket fired from Gaza fell short and exploded at the
UNRWA warehouses causing a massive fire. On Sunday, July 13, a rocket
fired from Gaza hit electricity infrastructure in Israel that supplied
power to Gaza, cutting power to about 70,000 people in Gaza.

On
July 16, two out of the ten high-power lines that Israel uses to
provide electricity to Gaza were again hit by Hamas rockets. The Israeli
Electricity Corporation (IEC), which provides power to Gaza, will not
be able to repair the two lines due to the immediate threat to the lives
of its technicians when doing repairs in open areas subject to frequent
rocket attacks.

Gaza terrorists fire rockets
and hit their own civilians. Background ] Since the beginning of the
year, until the launching of Operation Protective Edge, Gaza terrorists
fired more than 450 rockets towards Israeli citizens. The attacks sent
thousands running into bomb shelters, threatening millions of Israeli
lives. In order to restore quiet to the region and stop Hamas terrorism,
the IDF has commenced Operation Protective Edge. Since Operation Pillar
of Defense in November 2012, Hamas has continued to arm itself with
vast amounts of weaponry and is currently in possession of 10,000
rockets. Hamas deliberately and systematically exploits Palestinians and
uses them as human shields when firing at Israel. With the increased
range of rockets, some 6 million Israelis are currently living under the
threat of rocket attacks. No nation would accept this reality. Although
Israel's Iron Dome Missile Defense system stops some of the attacks,
most rockets are capable of reaching Israel's biggest cities. More than
half a million Israelis have less than 60 seconds to find shelter after a
rocket is launched from Gaza into Israel. Many have only 15 seconds.

Monday,
June 30 saw a sharp escalation in rocket fire, with the intensification
in attacks beginning in the morning, prior to the discovery of the
boys' bodies. That day, Hamas itself fired rockets.

These
rockets have injured Israelis, damaged cars, homes and property. On
Thursday morning (3 July) a rocket hit a nursery school and rockets
burned two factories in Sderot to the ground (28 June).

In
addition to the rocket attacks, Palestinians have carried out
cross-border attacks from Gaza. A terrorist armed with a grenade
infiltrated an Israeli village (22 June) and Israeli forces were
attacked on 28 and 29 June.

Hamas controls the Gaza Strip since 2007 and bears responsibility for the rocket attacks.

Hamas,
Islamic Jihad Leaders Come Out of Hiding as Truce Begins. Senior
Islamic Jihad official threatens to attack Ben Gurion Airport again,
says Gaza will open sea, airports. Hamas vows to rearm. By AFP and Arutz
Sheva Staff. First Publish: 8/26/2014, Hamas official Mahmoud al-Zahar
at "victory rally" in Gaza. Several senior Hamas and Islamic Jihad
leaders appeared in public on Tuesday shortly after a Gaza truce took
hold, the first time they had done so since the conflict began on July
8. Among them was Mahmoud al-Zahar, a senior member of the Hamas
political wing, and senior Islamic Jihad leader Mohammed al-Hindi who
gave a rousing victory speech to thousands of people gathered in a
square in Gaza City's Rimal neighborhood.

"We're
going to build our port and our airport, and if they attack the port,
they attack the port. But anyone who attacks the airport will have their
airport attacked again," Zahar said. He was referring to a two-day
suspension of flights into Tel Aviv by major US and European airlines in
mid-July after a rocket from Gaza struck near the runway, in a move
hailed as a victory by Hamas.

Zahar also said
that in addition to rebuilding Gaza, Hamas would continue "arming
itself and developing its resistance capacity."

The
statement is significant given that the one Israeli demand in the truce
talks has been a disarmament of Gaza, a demand that will be discussed
in the next round of talks to be held in less than a month.

Hamas has already said that any truce would be so as to plan the next terror war on Israel.

The
IDF's Operation Protective Edge was ended with Prime Minister Binyamin
Netanyahu's acceptance of a ceasefire deal that will see a return to the
status-quo established following the last serious escalation in 2012.

The
decision to accept the ceasefire has triggered some controversy, with
members of Israel's Security Cabinet split over the issue and some anger
over Netanyahu's decision to use a legal technicality to avoid a
cabinet vote.

Despite claims of "victory" by
Hamas and Islamic Jihad, the two groups suffered significant losses
during the conflict, including the assassination of three senior Hamas
commanders last week. ﻿

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